Posted on 09/27/2006 10:48:53 PM PDT by TheMightyQuinn
The Bush administration has been pushing ethanol as a renewable, homegrown alternative to gasoline. Now, the auto industry is abuzz with the promise of its flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are designed to run on either gasoline or the blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline called E85.
GM’s advertising says, “Energy independence? The answer may be growing in our own backyard,” and has coined the slogan “Live green, go yellow,” referring to the corn from which most U.S. ethanol is made. DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and GM have said that they plan to double production of FFVs and other biofuel vehicles to 2 million by 2010.
A recent Harris Interactive study of vehicle owners found that more than half were interested in purchasing an FFV, mostly for reduced dependency on petroleum and improved fuel economy.
But after putting a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe FFV through an array of fuel economy, acceleration, and emissions tests, and interviewing more than 50 experts on ethanol fuel, CR determined that E85 will cost consumers more money than gasoline and that there are concerns about whether the government’s support of FFVs is really helping the U.S. achieve energy independence. Among our findings:
* The fuel economy of the Tahoe dropped 27 percent when running on E85 compared with gasoline, from an already low 14 mpg overall to 10 mpg (rounded to the nearest mpg). This is the lowest fuel mileage we’ve gotten from any vehicle in recent years.
* With the retail pump price of E85 averaging $2.91 per gallon in August, according to the Oil Price Information Service, which tracks petroleum and other fuel prices, a 27 percent fuel-economy penalty means drivers would have paid an average of $3.99 for the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.
(Excerpt) Read more at consumerreports.org ...
This ethanol push by government brought to you by ADM...corporate welfare queen that doles out money to politicos and journalists alike to ensure it receives taxpayer subsidies.
If ethanol was the "solution," we'd eliminate the tariffs on imports of the stuff instead of subsidizing ADM.
Nuclear+hydrogen=defunded terrorists.
What a coincidence. I'm re-starting my Lincoln commemorative coin mail order business. Buy them for a penny and sell them for $10. :-)
Until Hydrogen fuel cells are safe and efficient there is little to hope for that this will replace oil any time soon.
Hydrogen does'nt come cheap. The process to produce H2 needs
Alot of energy input. Storing this stuff is a bigger problem.
Gasoline is the best. We got it. Drill for it refine it use it.
Gasahol has been a huge rip-off.
ADM and the corn farmers are the only winners.
With copper prices the way they are, I'm thinking you might try $29.95 for that commemorative medal. Sure beats trying to pull hot wires.
The verdict is in. Ethanol is for people who think they are going to save the planet and for producers to soak up government subsidies. We will soon see new names on the millionaire list all because of ethanol. Instead of calling it "ethanol" it should be called "corngate".
They hydrogen part of your equation is irrelevant.
Nuclear is the key energy source.
How that energy gets transported is a small problem.
Where did that 'y' come from?
Oops...
Hey look! Left-wing Consumer reports is against ethanol. That ought to speak volumes.
Please; do try not to interrupt the (literal) "bite the hand that feeds them" farmer bash fest.
Ethanol sucks -- energy.
this is garbage.
what does CR know about ethanol's future cost?
because of federal law changes, there has been a spike in demand, so today's price is unrepresentative of the future.
ethanol is unstopable.
many countries are looking at ethanol and/or biodiesel.
CR's movie is onvious,they don't want the people
of the world to drive cars
and where would you get the hydrogen from? water cracking nuclear is way out in the future
The fact is that oil needs to go. Ethanol may not be the perfect answer or the answer at all, but things need to change. No oil=terrorists riding camels in the desert where they belong.
E85 is solely being pushed to subsidize Archer-Daniels-Midland.
?? Wonder what that was that we breathed on the UstaFish SSN-999? ISTR we cracked a good bit of water to O2 and H2, dumped the H2 overboard.
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